fsuguy

jdavis, For what it's worth, it cost me about $780.00 US to get the timing belt on my '92LS changed. Did it at an out of town Toyota dealership after I made certain that the mechanic who would do the work had actually work experience on the LS400. Had to go that route because the local Toyota dealership has yokels for mechanics, and the nearest Lexus dealer is eithe Jacksonville Fl, or Atlanata Ga! The locals yanked out my #3 speed sensor (OD sensor) wire causing the OD to malfunction (confirmed by the out of town dealership). Anyway, the $780.00 included the following: 1. Change Timing belt. 2. Change drive belt. 3. Change waterpump. 4. Change both upper and lower radiator hoses. 5. Change the cam seals. 6. Replace the spark plugs. 7. Change the spark plug tube seals 8. Replace the EGR valve. 9. Replace the valve cover seals. 10. Replace the spark plug wires. I supplied the following all genuine Lexus parts ordered from Sewell and/or Toyota dealerships: 1. EGR valve. 2. 8 spark plug set. 3. Spark plug wire set. 4. Valve cover gasket set. The did other work as well, but that was not included in the price listed. I am happy that I checked out their mechanic before I left my car with them since I am confident that the work was done right, unlike it would have been if I had left the car at our local Toyota dealership (who refused to reimburse me, by the way for the damage to the OD speed sensor - cost $125.00 to fix). HTH Mike

Thanks for the idea. I don't think any fuses are blown, since the lighting still works, though! On start up and driving, the lighting works for a while. Only after driving for about 5 to 10 minutes, sometimes longer, the flickering begins and then if I continue driving, the lighting just gradually dies out. Thought it may be a power supply problem, but it now looks like the same problem that the '93 and '94 model year LS 400 had - bad/cheap capcitors! Toyota ought to do a recall on this problem, even though the cars are over 10 years old. My '86 Prelude 2.0 SI with over 280K miles still has everything functioning, and runs like a bat outta hell to boot. No one expects a car to live forever, but by gosh, the dash lighting is so critical to safety that it should be virtually indestructible!!! Don't get me wrong, it is a great car to drive, when things are working well, but for the price, it should not simply be rated highly in the first few years of ownership, it should be at least on a par with lesser vehicles in terms of durability! Any thoughts on this position? :o Mike

KillerFatty, Thank you for the info. My search through all the past threads led me to believe that the capacitor problem was specific to the '93-'94 model years, but looks like it also affects the earlier ones too. Now I am going to have to get in and do some surgery!!!

Hi, I know this lighting was a problem on the '93 and '94 model LS 400, but does anyone know if it was also a problem for the '92? My '92 LS has just started doing the flickering lighting thing and the lighting dies out after a few minutes. Is the fix the same for the '92, or is it something different? I have already done the wiring in the trunk, so don't think that is the problem. TIA Mike

Hi, Recently my '92 has shown this weird problem (for a '92LS) where after about 5 minutes of driving the dashlight illuminating the gauges begins flashing off and on while the needles remain illuminated. Then, after a few minutes of doing this, only the needles remain illuminated. After a few more minutes the needles begin flashing from bright to dim and after a few more minutes, they die out and the cluster is blacked out completely except for any turn signals, CEL, or brake, etc. Has anyone experienced this before, and if so, what should I be troubleshooting for? I had just recently had the car at a Toyota dealership do my valve cover gasket, radiator hoses, timing belt, drive belt, rotors and caps, and ball joints, and can't think of any of those things can be connected to this problem. Any advice would be very much appreciated. TIA Mike :o

mho, I have a '92 LS400, and the tach never worked since I first got it. The tach gets its signal from the igniters under the hood and easily accessible. Your problem, however, like multitudes of other LS400s on this forum, may be the meter itself - seems like someone suggested there is gummed up oil making the needle stick to its limiter(?) In some threads on the Supra forum, however, I saw something that seemed to indicate that Toyota skimped on the solder used on the circuit boards, and so over time the connections break. Haven't had an opportunity to take my dash apart yet, but would be mighty interested in knowing what you find out.

yank30265, check your "stop" fuse - this should be under the dash by the driver's side. The fuse is a 30amp (IIRC). If the fuse checks out OK, then check your rear taillights and brake lights. Any one of those can trip your circuit and disable the brake/shifter unlock switch. If the brake/taillights check out OK, then you may have to check your brake switch itself. HTH mike

Hi Yank, This is only with regard to the shift override button - 1. First check your stop fuse - under the driver's side dash by pedals (if it's OK, check to make sure battery is good); 2. If battery is good, check the brake lights - any blown bulbs will trigger the safety (disabling the shifter); 3. If all brake light bulbs check out OK (do a visual with someone's help, or back up to a large store window), check trunk wiring in left hinge; 4. Chances are good that at least one of the wires hidden in the left trunk hinge are broken inside their insulation; feel each wire for limpness, otherwise you may have to actually cut each one to check for a broken one; 5. If all the above check out good, then check the light failure sensor - it will be behind the trunk upholstry on the left hand side - a little, black plastic box (about 2.5", by 3") with a single wire harness going to it. I had the same problem with shift override switch being only way to get into gear - had three problems: 1. A short in the RH brake bulb housing, probably due to heat damaging the insulating plate; 2. Broken ground wire in the trunk hinge; and 3. Break in the circuitry in the Light failure sensor - fixed with a soldering iron and about 5 minutes work. Good Luck

About a month ago the LH side coil went bad resulting in red-hot glowing cats - both of them! Anyway with help from threads on the forum, identified the problem as being the coil, changed it and performance improved. Now I am getting CEL codes 25 (air/fuel mixture lean), 26 (air/fuel mixture rich), and 41 (Throttle Position Sensor)! And here is a peculiar thing - the CEL does not stay on all the time - sometimes it simply goes away, other times it stays on for several days. Performance has also dropped when the CEL is on. Can this be a sensor malfunction, or a bad ground? Does anyone have any experience with this happening after a coil failure - does the glowing cats destroy the O2 sensors? I believe the main O2s are pretty close to the Cats. If not, can the TPS alone account for this contradiction of the fuel ratio? Any help will be greatly appreciated TIA

90LS, Thanks for the info. I have repaired the problem and posted my methods on another thread with the same topic. Unfortunately I started two of the threads accidentally. Hope you get your issues resolved satisfactorily. B)

Hi waf102, try this link: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_1992_LEXU...PGKA_8401.html; the part listed is 83420-16020/16050 depending upon your vin#.

90LS, The instructions to clean the pump filter are somewhere on the list. Unfortunately I don't recall where. However, this is what I remember after following several threads on the subject: To clean the filter in the PS reservoir you will need to remove the thing from the engine. Then, unbend or wedge the tabs up on the top edge of the reservoir. Look at it carefully and you will see where they have been pinched to keep the top fixed. In the bottom-up picture (link posted by eatingupblacktop) of the reservoir, you can see where the edge of the lid has been pinched (?). Once you get that loose, the top will come off and you will be able to see the screen. Use care when cleaning the screen as it is fragile! Hope this helps. B)

waf102, having your a/c on puts additional demands on the engine. If you have not used the a/c much, and are now experiencing overheating, there is likely another underlying problem. How does the engine idle w/o a/c on? If some cylinders are not firing - old plugs, wires, rotor, cap, etc., then the additional demand on the engine will cause overheating. Check these, incuding timing, and let us know what you find out. B)

Alrighty then, changed the coil on the driver side and problem fixed...at least no more chugging and glowing cats! Those cats looked like they were out on vacation from hell, indeed! Anyway, for those who may need to change out the driver side coil on a '92 LS400, the following may be helpful. Also posted parts info on the bottom of this post, for those who need it. Sorry, but I don't have any pictures. One important note: I checked my original coil and the new coil with a digital Ohm meter, but saw no difference in the readings, but maybe the meter was not calibrated low enough. So, for all of you out there with similar symptoms and you have ruled out other issues, do not depend upon the meter readings for the coils!!! 1. Disconnect the battery and remove it completely out of the engine bay. You may need to remove the plastic cover thingys first. 2. Disconnect 3 connections at the coil - the coil is on the drivers side between the left bank of cylinders and the fuse box, about 8 inches down. You can see the high tension wire plugged into it; To disconnect these three connections, you need to carefully press the locking tabs on the sides and gingerly wiggle them off. This is the third hardest part; if you have passed this point, you are almost there; 4. Get a 10mm socket and a 2 inch extension with a ratchet - 1/4 inch drive works well because of the tight space; the coil is mounted on a bracket which is bolted to the engine block in two places - one (10mm bolt) is in front right behind the serpentine belt; reach in put the socket onto the bolt and loosen it counterclockwise. Don't make the mistake of loosening the white plug bolted onto the bracket - it is also a 10mm bolt, but you don't need to take that one off. The correct bolt is a little further back in, and actually bolts onto the block. Not sure what will happen if you drop the bolt, so don't do it! 5. Get a 14mm wrench - a long handled on will be better, since a socket and ratchet won't help you with this one. Because the whole setup is just above the A/C compressor, there is not much room to work here. It it not hard to get out, but you will need to fit the wrench and loosen, repeatedly until it is loose. Again, not sure what will happen if you drop the bolt, so don't. This bolt is suprisingly larger. Now that you have both bolts out, you can take a beer break. I did, this was the second hardest part of the job. Anyway, I digress. 6. Now that you have the coil assembly out, you will see that the bracket is held on with four phillips head bolts. Undo them, clean with your choice of cleaner and bolt the new coil onto the bracket. 7. Install the bracket assembly with the 10mm bolt first - this will make it easier to get the 14mm bolt in, which is a PITA. But I digress. Finger tighten the 10mm bolt to where most of the slack is taken up and the bracket does not flop around. Now comes the hardest part - getting the blankety blank 14mm bolt back in. It may feel like it's impossible to get that bolt back in, but take a good look at the engine boss - for those of you who don't know, its a bit of the block that juts out and serves many purposes in enginese. Anyway, note the angle of the boss, and this will give you an idea of how to hold the bolt while trying to get it started. This is where keeping the bracket somewhat loosey goosey helps out. You may have to work the bracket at bit with your left hand, while trying to get the bolt threaded with your right, but it should only take about 5-7 minutes if you're lucky. Tip - use one finger on the head of the bolt, and the other to try to turn it 8. Got the 14mm started? Good, you're over the hill! Tighten the 14mm securely (check the manual for torque specs - I did'nt. Just made sure the darn thing was tight enough so it wouldn't pop out from engine vibrations). 9. Tighten the 10mm bolt behind the serpentine belt. 10. Connect the wires to the white plug on the bracket. 11. Connect the power connection plug onto the coil. 12. Connect the high tension wire. 13. Check to make sure all tools are out of the Battery tray, and install the battery with clamp, cover, whatever. 14. Connect the battery + wire first, then negative. 15. Done. Parts used New coil from NAPA P/N#IC160; (Original Toyota P/N:19090-50010; this ignition coil is referenced as LH coil in the service manual, so LH is equivalent to the driver's side. This is important if you have to get it from Sewell, since they know coils as #1 or #2 but cannot tell you which is which!); Brake cleaner fluid. Total time to remove and reinstall: about 1 hour (including getting part from NAPA store). Now, I would like to find out what happened to the Lextreme website? Anyone got any ideas? B)

Hi Guys, Lextreme used to be a good source for tutorials on the LS. I cannot find them anymore and thought someone on here may know??? I need to check or change out my coil(s) on my '92 LS400. Car is chugging badly, cats glowing red, etc. TIA Fsuguy

Hi Guys, Lextreme used to be a good source for tutorials on the LS. I cannot find them anymore and thought someone on here may know??? I need to check or change out my coil(s) on my '92 LS400. Car is chugging badly, cats glowing red, etc. TIA Fsuguy

LS 4000, Have you tried draining the tank completely and refilling with fresh fuel? You may have water in the tank and by pouring in fresh fuel, the mix allows gas instead of water into the engine. This is an outside shot, but it does sound like bad fuel. If the gas is not the problem, it may the cold start valve. Let us know when you resolve it. B)

Hi Edgar, My '92 Repair Manual says that if any component on the control valve assembly is defective, the entire unit should be replaced. It does not show any procedures to clean the filter, although there are several threads on this forum that show exactly how to do that. The bad news is that after following several of these threads on PS systems, I have not yet read of anyone replacing the filter in the control valve assembly (the part that houses the pressure control solenoid). So, if you do figure a way to fix or fabricate one, it would be very welcome on this forum, I'm sure. Maybe you could find a pressure control assembly from a salvage yard(?) Sorry I could not offer any more helpful information. B)

lexfourcam, who did you have redo your tranny? was it in Jax, FL? tia fsuguy

Thanks. I guess that will be a good job when I get home from work tomorrow. I am really tired though... burned out on it. Seems like its one thing after the other. Even after I get the leak stopped, I am still faced with why I am getting that "shudder" on hard turns at stops/low speeds. Probably the rack knowing my luck. :( Thanks again and for that link. Hi 90LS, How are the rpms on the engine when you make the turns at stop/low speed? The air control valve on the PS pump is designed to increase engine rpms to compensate for the PS Pump power requirement at low speed. The following is a direct quote from the Repair Manual: "The pump produces the maximum fluid pressure when the steering wheel is turned fully to the right or left and, at this time there is a maximum load on the pump which causes a decrease in engine idle rpm. To solve this problem, vehicles are equipped with an idle up device which acts to raise engine idle rpm whenever there is a heavy load on the pump. On EFI engines, when the piston of the iar control valve is pushed by fluid pressure, the air valve opens and the volume of air by-passing the throttle valve is increased to regulate engine rpm. The idle-up device functions to raise engine idle rpm when the pump fluid pressure acts on the air control valve, installed on the pump body, to control the flow of air." It may be that your rpms are dropping so low that the ps pump is struggling and results in the "shudder"? hth

Hi Guys, Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I have tried everything suggested so far - wiggling the key while trying to unlock, pushing while... the whole nine yards. I am completely stumped(?) Has anyone else experienced this where the key stops working mechanically? All other locks work fine??? TIA

Larry W, Here is a tip if you don't have son handy and want to test brake lights - get a piece of pipe or pole about 22" long and a small 3" square piece of flat wood. Move the seat back so you have enough space to work there. Now put one end of the pipe against the brake pedal and the other against the bottom of the driver seat (use the 3" square of wood to protect the plastic seat bottom). Now use the switch to move the seat forward to depress the brake - works like a charm B) Just be careful not to go crazy with the seat switch - only need to depress the brake pedal about 3" to 4". Figured this out since my son was too cranky to help - just kidding, he's too young to reach the pedal!!! :D

JWhite, I agree with curiousB - sounds like they are trying to pad the bill if you were not experiencing any other problems. Sometimes these transmissions do have their inner seals go bad and require replacement, which probably would require an overhaul. However, in your case, changing the solenoid valve is a relatively less labor intensive task.

Hi, Both #1 and #2 may need to be checked. Do the dash lights all come on at once when RPMs drop (or do they go off when RPMs go up?), if so, chances are very likely it's your alternator. You may first want to check the simple and easy things like the positive terminal connector on your battery; corrosion on this unit causes all sorts of weird problems. If your PS is leaking fluid onto the alternator, its just a matter of time before the alternator bites the dust. If it is the alternator, and your PS is leaking, obviously you will also need to fix the PS too or the new one bites the dust too! If you have to replace the alternator, there is somewhere in this forum universe a picture of an alternator with a rigged plastic cover made from a clorox-like bottle cut in such a way to cover the alternator very nicely. I just wish I had seen that picture before I replaced the alternator on my '92LS. If you do have to go into your trunk, the left hinge is the one that hides the offending bunch of wiring that may have more surprises than you expected. Anyway, good luck with this B)

Hi 90LS, Hope your repair is going well. Do not despair! You are more than halfway there already, and if the underside of your car is any indication, it is in fine shape. The outside sure looks fine! Compared to my '92 underside (leaking oil, slipping tranny - you name it!) you have a very fine machine indeed! Look at it as a fine, high maintenance girlfriend; once you get her purring, it's smooth sailing, and no regrets! Now to business - on 9/23 someone posted 3 possibilities, and he was right. If you have difficulty getting to the valve, you can always remove the pulley from in front to make it easier to get at. You will need to move the serpentine belt out of the way before you do this - about 1 minute with a long handled 3/4" drive. Also, from the looks of things it does not look like your rack has anything to do with the leak - most likely the valve, or the seal/o-ring between the reservoir and the pump body. You have also had good advice about covering the alternator before undoing anything attached to the pump above it. Good luck and let us know when you get it done, 'cause man, I know after all that effort you are not giving up! B)